ESPN insider makes extreme statement about Aaron Rodgers' future with the Jets
At this point, it’s likely that Aaron Rodgers won’t be the New York Jets’ starting quarterback in 2025. Changes at head coach and general manager, plus Rodgers’ age and questionable performance this season, make it probable that the new management structure will look for a new option next year. ESPN’s NFL insider Dan Graziano went […]
At this point, it’s likely that Aaron Rodgers won’t be the New York Jets’ starting quarterback in 2025. Changes at head coach and general manager, plus Rodgers’ age and questionable performance this season, make it probable that the new management structure will look for a new option next year.
ESPN’s NFL insider Dan Graziano went a step further with that perception. For him, it’s really (like, really) unlikely that Rodgers will be a Jet in 2025. And maybe he won’t finish the season as the starter.
“He just turned 41 on Monday. On the morning of his birthday, he ranked 25th in the NFL among qualifying quarterbacks in QBR, right behind Anthony Richardson and just ahead of Daniel Jones,” Graziano wrote in his weekly column with Jeremy Fowler. “He didn't play in 2023. He didn't play well in 2022. He has been downright awful in 2024. A head coach and a GM have lost their jobs because they tied themselves to him and built the entire team around the idea that Rodgers would be the difference. He has been the difference, but completely opposite of what they expected and hoped. The team is terrible. The team culture is either terrible or nonexistent.”
To complement his perception, Graziano dropped an extreme statement about the situation.
“I still wouldn't be surprised to see the Jets bench him or move on before the end of this season,” he added. “I'll eat one of my socks if Rodgers is starting for the Jets next season.”
This will be a two-sided decision after all. First, Aaron Rodgers himself has to decide if he will keep playing football or not — and if the answer is yes, a follow-up question is if he would want to play for the Jets or elsewhere. The franchise also has to make a decision, and parting ways with Rodgers is the most financially responsible one.
If Aaron Rodgers plays in 2025 for New York, he would make $37.5 million. And based on how the contract is constructed, the cap hit would be $23.5 million, which is pretty manageable. However, the dead money in 2026 would jump to $63 million — that’s right, Rodgers would count $63 million against the Jets’ cap when he won’t be on the roster.
No decision will be made before the Jets hire a new GM and HC, but everything is pointing to the team and Rodgers going in different directions next offseason.
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